No Hipbelt

Piper,

I completely agree with your post. Strength training helped me out a lot

Tom said-"I rarely go without a hip belt anymore, unless I happen to be using a pack that doesn't have one (I still have a few). Even with weight as low as 10 pounds or so, its a lot more comfortable over distance on a long day if the weight is on the hips. When weight is below 10 pounds or so, its not usually necessary, but the weight of the belt with buckle on small packs is very low and it helps to keep the pack from swaying when moving fast."

I'm w/ Tom on this one. Even my small day packs (5-ish liters) retain their tiny waist belts; my larger packs (even w/ light loads) are much more comfortable w/ the hip belt fastened. Long distance days w/ 20+ lbs would definitely suck w/o one.

In fact if I'm carrying more than 10 lbs I'm uncomfortable without a hip belt.

I have L4 & L5 "moderately herniated" discs that do not bother me unless I put too much weight on my spine for too long a time.

> Personally foregoing pack frames and hip belts makes little sense to me unless you are carrying less than 10 lbs.
I'm glad for frames and hip belts. You young whippersnappers may pay later for your anti-hipbelt fetish when you're past 50.

I've modified two hunting packs by adding 1" wide aluminum frame strips and padded hip belts. WHAT a difference!

> "Frame sheets" do NOT support loads because they can not transfer weight to the hip belt. They merely stiffen the back of a pack a little bit and keep you from getting poked in the back with poorly packed gear.

I always use one, even with loads under 15 pounds. My shoulders ache after a while without one.

I can't carry even 5 lbs for very long without a hip belt. Even when I was young I didn't like carrying weight on my shoulders. Strength conditioning did not change that (I could dead lift 350 in college and I only weighed 155 myself). I don't know what makes me different, but carrying weight on my shoulders for any prolonged period of time is painful. Especially now that I am over 50. ;^)

I'm not convinced squats would do squat to help the pain of pressing a bunch of nerves into a bunch of bones.

Most people who can't carry weight on their shoulders have nerve pain, not a muscle problems that can be strength trained away.

It seems once the shoulders get sensitive, they don't go back to normal sans surgery.

"Most people who can't carry weight on their shoulders have nerve pain, not a muscle problems that can be strength trained away."

What is what mine appears to be.

Deadlifts more so than squats is a great all body exercise but adding some shoulder and trap specific strengthening exercises I think would be of more benefit.

I fall under the 'prefer no hipbelt' category but I'd hesitate to recommend it to someone who hasn't tried it as it really comes down to personal preference, and many people here have noted on other threads that they just can't tolerate weight on their shoulders.

It's pretty simple though. Carry your pack without using the hipbelt and see how you like it.

I guess I'm supposed to throw in a gratuitous HTFU here but that's starting to get played out and I'm actively looking for a new acronym.

Anyone? Bueller?

"Most people who can't carry weight on their shoulders have nerve pain, not a muscle problems that can be strength trained away."

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This is true. But with me, I can carry the weight on my shoulders without too much of a problem and did so for a while with UL loads. I just find it far more comfortable through a long day if the weight is carried on the hips.

I think you'd find a MUCH more receptive crowd over in the SUL page. Lots of people there eschew hip belts. It is the "au currant" style for many there. I say "style" advisedly because that's what I think it is, a style of backpacking with no frame, no hip belt and the lightest, most etherial pack fabric possible.

And, oh, yes, they free ball a lot over there, "commando style" being no briefs to carry or wear. Minimalist, ya know… ;o)